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New Aleutian program distributes $24K in grants for small businesses

Berett Wilber
/
KUCB
Grant recipients range from an ice cream shop in King Cove to a notary in Unalaska to commercial fishermen in Sand Point.

Eight Aleutian businesses were awarded $3,000 each in late April as part of a new microgrant program from the Aleutian Marketplace.

Grant recipients range from an ice cream shop in King Cove to a notary in Unalaska to commercial fishermen in Sand Point. A total of $24,000 worth of grant money was distributed throughout the region.

It’s the first of two rounds of grants through the partnership between the Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association, TelAlaska, Wells Fargo and the Aleut Corporation. The organizations work with community members, small business owners and creative entrepreneurs throughout the region in an attempt to help fuel local economies.

“We were pleased to add micro grants to the Aleutian Marketplace program this year after community members shared that one of the best ways to support entrepreneurial efforts was to provide a flexible funding source,” said APICDA Chief Program Officer Laura Delgado in a press release. “This program continues to evolve to better serve the small businesses and foster grassroots economic growth in the region.”

The second round of grants opened May 1 and closes June 15. Both new and established businesses in the Aleutian-Pribilof region are eligible to apply.

For more information, visit APICDA’s website.

Hailing from Southwest Washington, Maggie moved to Unalaska in 2019. She's dabbled in independent print journalism in Oregon and completed her Master of Arts in English Studies at Western Washington University — where she also taught Rhetoric and Composition courses.
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